Fallout Equestria: Old Souls

by Pillbug

Fallout Equestria: Old Souls - Chapter 27: White Stars, Black Stripes, Grey Skies

Chapter 27: White Stars, Black Stripes, Grey Skies

[The only real revelation was the realization that hanging all your hopes on an assumption was going to get you nothing but hurt.]

“No, you mad mare, I will not ask Bosco to copy my body to 'spit roast' Breeze!” Cept was almost foaming at the mouth at my suggestion. “I do not even know what that is, though I am sure it is sexual!”

I was not done, however. “Not even if dear Breeze herself asks for it?”

Whatever your answer, Cept-dahling, I can still enjoy the idea in my mind.

The three of us had approached Plottawa from the back, so far managing to avoid any Plottawan patrols while in the forest. We weren't far from the wall, and Naiara had scouted ahead to confirm we were safe to talk.

The zebra filly was doubled over in a belly laugh. “I would trade everything I have in this world to hear Breeze ask that.” Still unable to stand, she waved Cept over. “C'mere, I'll tell you what it means.”

Watching the mounting horror on Cept's face as a barely-able-to-keep-a-straight-face Naiara whispered the possibilities of three-person intercourse into his ear was a treat in itself. His golden eyes were widening at the same rate his striped face was reddening.

By the end of the explanation, he could only stare straight ahead, open-mouthed.

I sidled up next to him, rubbing along his side. “Now you know the theory, dahling, but I would be happy to give you some hooves-on practice.”

His resulting leap carried him straight over Naiara's head. She and I collapsed into further giggles. Oh, you lovely boy. Breeze will be very satisfied when you finally find your courage, I am sure.

Marching stiffly around us, Cept waved us on. “You are not here just to make rude jokes, Schwarzwald. Why did you come with us?”

My loose gait easily kept up with his tight movements. Smiling, I tapped my forehead, where a unicorn's horn might be. “This 'Overmare' comes from the same Stable as our dear Snowflake. Talking to Willow Wisp should be very informative indeed.” For more than one reason.

Naiara trotted up beside us. “Why would she talk to you? Cassie said she wasn't really on good terms with Snowflake, or those who know her.”

“And she has Plottawan soldiers with her.” Cept supplied.

I flashed my biggest grin. “I will just have to convince her. It will be fine.” You two are not the only ones to overcome danger and anger. “Focus on Atesh, dahlings, and leave the Overmare to me.”

“We meet Atesh first,” Cept said with finality. “He is the reason Naiara and I are here. After that, we will deal with Willow Wisp.”

“Aye aye.” The cheery reply from Naiara had me raising an eyebrow.

They are used to working together like this. No arguments. “Understood, Cept. It is nice to hear such a commanding voice.”

“Can't wait til he tries that on Breeze, either. She'll murder him.”

Cept coloured nicely at Naiara's quip.

“Come now, Naiara. Confidence is always attractive.” Leering, I leaned in to slyly faux-whisper in her ear. “Besides, even a strong-willed girl like Breeze will sometimes want her lover to... take the reins.”

Coughing loudly, Cept turned and walked diagonally away from us, hind legs slightly crossed.

Naiara shared my knowing look. She winked at me before nodding ahead. “There's the wall. You want a second to think about ghouls, Cept?”

He refused to turn his head, merely grunting a response. “I am fine. We should get to the wall before any slavers arrive.”

Taking pity on the stallion, Naiara and I took the lead. No Plottawans arrived by the time we got there, but our scout wasted no time in barking out several hails in the zebra tongue.

Within moments, two striped heads popped up over the top of the wall, eyes widening as they spotted the three of us. One ducked back down immediately, while the other jabbered rapid-fire after them.

“What are they saying?” I took it as a positive that neither of my companions seemed worried by the responses.

“They are getting a rope for us to climb up,” Cept scanned the forest once more, “and they are also informing the Elder of our arrival.”

“Saves us some time.” Naiara was limbering up for the climb, straining her shoulders and hips as she stretched her limbs.

My own warm-up was slightly more sensual. Purposefully so, as I made sure to do it in full view of our stallion companion.

To my delight, Cept had to turn away again.

“Breeze is gonna kill you.” Naiara managed between chuckles.

“No,” My tongue ran across my lips, “but she may make me squeal.”

Clearing his throat again, Cept muttered to himself.

Oh, do not deny yourselves your fun, Cept. Breeze is far less uptight than you.

A rope descending cut off any further teasing. Cept was halfway up before I even noticed he had moved.

Naiara waved me forwards after he reached the top. She gripped the rope and wrapped it around my hoof. “Hold it tightly. Use the friction to hold yourself in place with your back legs, and pull with the front. Call out if you need help, they'll pull you up.”

I hmph'd, “I am not so old yet.” and began to pull myself up.

I am not old, but I have not done this for quite some time. It is not as easy as I remember. My limbs felt heavier by the time I pulled myself over the top, but I waved away any assistance.

My pride was only slightly wounded when Naiara appeared mere seconds later. “Let us find Atesh, dahlings.”

“Whatever you say.” Naiara and Cept stayed close to me, as the other zebra formed up around us.

I suppose you two are as concerned with keeping me safe from harm as your clan mates are with keeping me from causing it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We were led down and through some slave pens on the way to Atesh's office. Gaunt faces stared out at us from the other side of the fences.

Naiara's jade eyes dimmed at the sight. “What happened to them? They weren't like this before.”

“What do you mean?” Cept spoke out of the side of his mouth.

Naiara followed suit. “They were more active. Healthier. It's only been two days!”

“Sickness?” Cept glanced around. “All the more reason to resolve this quickly.”

“Please...” A dirty hoof pressed against the walls of the pens. “Just a little food...” The pony behind the hoof couldn't even hold themselves upright, and slumped backwards.

“They are starving, not ill.” I ventured. “It appears they have not been fed in those two days.”

Cept tried to talk to the other zebra, but was rebuffed. “Has the Plottawan attack drained their supplies?”

I sized up the fit and toned bodies of the zebra guards accompanying us. “Your clan mates do not look underfed.”

We stopped at the foot of the stairs to Peanut's, now Atesh' office. Two of our guards climbed the staircase, while the others waited at the bottom. Naiara didn't wait for permission to head up. “No, they don't. We'd better ask Atesh.”

“Naiara, he is still our clan Elder.” Cept's warning was barely acknowledged.

I followed behind them both in silence, halting a few steps down to listen. This will be interesting.

Naiara opened the door and walked in, cutting Atesh's “Enter” off mid-word. Cept followed after her. From my vantage point on the stairs, I could see Atesh's hoof on the desk, but not his face.

The hoof moved in greeting. “Naiara, Cept. You have returned. I am pleased.”

“Elder.” Cept bowed.

“Atesh.” Naiara didn't. “What happened to the slaves?”

“Has something happened?” There was a hint of confusion in Atesh's statescolt-like voice, but mostly indifference.

“'Has something happened'? They're starving!” Naiara kicked a hoof against the wooden floor.

“Elder,” Cept laid a calming hoof on her shoulder, “has their been a shortage of food from the Plottawan attacks?”

“No, we still have food to last several months.” Atesh's tone, though proper, seemed utterly bored. “Now that you two are here, it is time—”

“If you've got food to last months, why are the slaves starving outside?” Naiara shrugged off Cept's hoof, frowning at the older stallion.

Atesh's hoof pressed flat against the table, and the trundle of wheels on wood showed that the clan Elder had risen from his chair. “Scout, I permitted you to speak your mind when you were last here. I do not give permission now. Do not interrupt me again.”

“You said you were going to test the slaves for a suitable unicorn for the horn. They can't prove themselves if they're half dead!”

His controlled tone slipped. “They already failed to prove themselves. The few unicorns present are of no use to me with their pitiful levels of magic. Why should I waste supplies on them?”

“Because they're people, victims!”

“They are ponies, Naiara.” He shot back with a razor-sharp tongue. “They are unimportant, not worth wasting food. I thought that your return here with Cept meant that you realised that.”

This feels like the right moment. I climbed the rest of the stairs and trotted into the office. “You are such a charming stallion, Atesh. It is a wonder you do not have mares around you wherever you go.”

At my entrance, Atesh drew in a long, slow breath through his nose. His frown deepened as he did so. The younger of the two stallions found himself skewered by a flat hazel stare. “You brought a pony into my office, Cept?”

“I did not bring her, Elder. She accompanied us.”

Atesh slashed a hoof through the air between them. “There is no difference, Cept. You should not have allowed her to follow you. You should have returned with Naiara, and no other.”

Snorting out a laugh, I lounged against the office wall. “I do wonder how you believe he could stop me.”

Atesh smiled, a reptilian effort that did little more than expose teeth. “Unlike Naiara, Cept is a capable enough fighter to overcome a pony in combat.”

Bristling, Naiara squared her hooves. “The hell is that supposed to mean?”

Atesh pointed to the camera in the corner of the ceiling. “I have been watching the footage of how you fought Peanut in this very room. It was disappointing to see one of my zebra students fall to my unworthy pony pupil.”

All three of us started. “What?!”

Atesh sat back down. “Fifteen years ago, I trained Peanut in the fundamentals of hoof combat. He learned quickly, but was ultimately unsuited to any style. Not unexpected, no pony is truly capable of mastery of zebra arts.”

Cept was utterly thrown by the revelation. “Elder, why would you do that?”

Atesh didn't falter. “The young colt was a useful tool in other areas. He had knowledge and skills I made use of. These were payment for the training. After we parted ways, I had little interest in what he did next.” He rubbed his chin. “However, it is intriguing how he has merged what I taught him with pony techniques. There may even have been some griffon fighting involved too.”

Naiara gaped at his casual attitude. “You hate ponies! You've always hated ponies! Why would you teach one zebra secrets?”

Hazel eyes rolled. “As I said, scout, Peanut had other talents that I could make use of. He provided information. Information that mixed with other knowledge to form steps on the path to the horn. It has been a long process, and I have been patient. Still, I will agree that it was a mistake to train him, no matter the reward. I could have found a better way without him.”

“It rather sounds like he got the better deal, dear Atesh.” Peanut used what you taught him to build his slaver empire. You and your clan have been without a home for longer than his Plottawa has existed.

Whispers from the hallway showed that Atesh's secret was not so easily accepted among the clan.

If Atesh heard the whispers, he gave no sign. “Possible, mercenary, but I did learn that I could not trust ponies because of my trade with Peanut, which was a valuable lesson indeed. Zebra cannot coexist with ponies, we can only use them like the tools that they are.”

Quiet descended upon the office. Atesh, smug in his chair, faced us all with half-lidded eyes. Cept stood tall, but his cheek twitched. I watched Naiara, who was vibrating with rage.

“You're wrong, Atesh.” She didn't raise her voice, but the whispers ceased immediately. A quick glance down the stairs showed the other zebra waiting with baited breath.

He sighed. “You still cling to this folly. I have given you too much freedom, scout. Now, you must fulfil your duty to the clan.” He stood up and thrust out a hoof. “Naiara. Cept. You two will retrieve my horn, Red Ice, her unicorn follower Undertow, and Latvi. You will find them, and you will bring them to me. No more delays, and no more failures. Go now, fulfil your destiny.”

Cept stared back without moving, unimpressed. “Our destinies?”

Naiara was far more animated. She stepped forwards, so that she was standing right in front of his outstretched hoof. “And if I won't?”

Atesh lowered his hoof, but did not back down. “Then you doom your clan to wander this poisoned land forever. We are heretics and outcasts. We cannot go home without a means to prove our worth. This is the way we will do it.” His eyes panned over to me. “Your friends are as damaging to our cause as the fools in Roam claim the stars to be. The difference is that something can be done about your friends; Schwarzwald, the two pegasi, the griffon...”

Finally. I was waiting for you to make that threat. I didn't have my battle saddle, but I still had my holdout weapons. Clenching, I readied for everything to go wrong. You will not harm Wings, nor any of the others. She is necessary, you are very much not.

Stepping forwards, Cept gently pulled Naiara back, and imposed himself between the two. “I ask again, Elder, what are our destinies?”

Inconceivably, Atesh's visage turned prideful. “Is it not obvious? You two, Cept and Naiara, are the finest of your generation. The finest of our clan. With the horn and its unicorn vessel in my possession, I will be able to return to Roam in triumph. The horn can provide the crystals that our nation needs, and show that I was right all along. The stars do not decide our fate, we are born with our fates.”

I nickered, hoof over my mouth. “You talk of only yourself, Atesh. Cept did not ask of your destiny.”

Hatred burned through the Elder's hazel eyes. “Our destinies are intertwined, pony. When I return to Roam, I will be raised to a higher calling. I will be a senator of Roam, a leader of our people, not just this clan. When I earn my new position, Cept will take my place as leader of this clan.”

The announcement caused a burst of chatter from the bottom of the stairs, and a frantic eyes-only conversation between the two guards in the room with us.

Did you tell anyone of your plans, Atesh?

“Congratulations, Cept.” Naiara's snark was not aimed at the younger stallion.

“When were you going to tell me this, Elder?” Cept remained standing between Atesh and Naiara.

“When you needed to know.” Walking around the desk, Atesh tried to put a hoof on Naiara's shoulder, but she shrunk back while Cept jumped between them again. “As for Naiara, she will return with me to Roam, at first to control the unicorn...”

Eyes already wide at the thought of going to Roam, the jade-eyed filly jolted at the last sentence. “'At first'?”

Atesh nodded in agreement. “At first. After the crystal farm is safely in place and contained, then you will fulfil your destiny. You will give me a son.”

“WHAT?!” Naiara gasped, echoed by Cept. She leapt straight backwards, away from Atesh. “You... you want me to... you're like a father to me!”

Unfazed, the Elder ignored her revulsion even as his eyes roamed her form. “It does not speak well of a leader of an entire people to be without a family of his own. As I said before, you are the finest female in our clan, and it is time to use all of your body's gifts to their fullest. You will be my wife, and the mother of my children.”

I burst out laughing. “Are your own followers strangers to you, 'Elder' Atesh? Naiara is a free spirit, unchained and born to explore. You think she will be happy in your gilded cage?”

Returning to his statescolt-like manner, far more fitting to his delusions, Atesh smiled serenely. “Naturally. She will be nobility. Any thing she desires will be hers, and all will know her as the mother of the changing times.”

Naiara moved to use me to cover herself, spitting out her discontent. “Oh yeah right. You want me to capture my friends. Then you want me to drag them to Roam, WHERE I'VE NEVER BEEN by the way, and then sit around making babies with you, the guy who practically raised me. You're nuts, Atesh!”

Sighing, the Elder returned to his desk. “Still you do not understand, Naiara. I am not cruel. Why do you think I allowed you all the freedom you have enjoyed? Days, weeks, months go by with you away from our clan. I wanted you to see the world, live your life to the fullest you could in this dying place. It will suit you well when you see the splendour of Roam reborn, to know of the world outside its walls. Why do you believe your true home to be a punishment? It is no prison, it is where we were always meant to be.”

“The hell it is!” She shouted back. “I won't live my life to someone else's ideals. You wouldn't do that, you left Roam instead, so why should I?”

Zebra murmurs increased in volume as she made her case.

It is a good point, Atesh. How will you pretend otherwise?

A thunderous BOOM, strong enough to shake the windows and doors, cut off any response Atesh might have made. Panicked shouts rang out almost immediately, along with the sound of gunfire.

A gashed and bleeding zebra stormed up in the stairs and into the room. “Plottawati! Plottawati!” He continued to rapid-fire words in the zebra tongue, with Atesh and Cept responding just as energetically. The zebra at the bottom of the stairs departed instantly.

“What are they saying?” I murmured over my shoulder to Naiara.

“The Plottawans've blown the main gate. They're coming in. The others are going to help fight 'em off.”

“Then we should do the same. Where is the armoury?”

Naiara made to head out, but stopped when her ear perked up. “Hold on.”

She turned back to the desk, where Atesh and Cept were now arguing with each other. The other zebra in the room were watching nervously, visibly uncomfortable with Cept squaring up to their Elder.

“What are they saying?” I asked again.

Naiara dutifully translated, though at just a whisper.

The older stallion hammered at the desk. “I told you to get the others to safety. We are finished with Plottawa.”

Cept slammed a hoof down too, the force bouncing Atesh's limb up. “And I said no. No more! I've had enough. You and your stupid decisions have caused nothing but trouble for our clan. I won't let you have your way anymore.”

Atesh pointed back down the stairs. “Our enemies are here, why are you wasting time like this?”

Cept pointed out the window, at the slave pens. “Because you want to cut and run, leaving those ponies to the slavers. You've starved them. They won't last!”

“They're pony inrispa, who cares about them? We aren't here to babysit. I wanted a strong unicorn, but there aren't any among the slaves. They are no good to us!”

The stomp of Cept's hoof made the messenger zebra jump. “You're wrong about that too! If we work together with the slaves, we can beat the slavers, and get everybody out, not just we zebra.”

“We zebra are the only ones you should be concerned with.” Atesh jabbed the younger zebra in the chest. “Follow my orders, Cept. I am the leader of this clan!”

Naiara and the messenger both gasped as Cept violently knocked Atesh's poking hoof aside.

On a half-second delay, Naiara translated what his next words. “You have shown yourself as the selfish bastard that you are. Everything that has happened to Naiara, to Plottawa, and to our friends, is because of you! You trained Peanut! You worked with Latvi and the Raiders! You starved the slaves here when you could have easily released them, and you want to force my best friend into a jailed life she doesn't want, all for your own satisfaction! You are not fit to lead this clan anymore, Atesh, and I hereby take it from you!”

I couldn't have stopped the smile spreading across my face if I wanted to. The sight of Cept, standing tall and proud, promised to stay with me for a long time. Especially on cold nights.

Stunned by the force of Cept's outburst, Atesh slumped back into his chair.

The new leader of the clan paid him no more mind, instead grabbing the messenger by the shoulders. Naiara's awe was evident in her voice, but she continued translating.

“Rally the others, brother. We will drive back the Plottawans! Tell them not to shoot any pony not in an enemy uniform, they will be helping us. I will be there soon, now go!”

The messenger was out the door in less than a second.

Cept turned to Naiara and I, switching to Equestrian. “Naiara, Schwarzwald, go the slaves. Find any who are still fit to fight. Tell them that they will have their freedom this day, if they help us to fight off the Plottawans. If they won't help, show them where the food stores are, so that they can feed their friends. Whatever happens, they are not slaves any more.”

Neither of us questioned his orders. Halfway down the corridor, I started to laugh. “It seems dear Cept is a natural leader.”

Naiara didn't laugh. “Yeah, I just hope he knows what he's doing.”

“What do you mean?” Her reply had sobered me.

At the entrance to the pens, she skidded to a halt. “There's more than one way to be put into a cage.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“This way, dahlings.” Waving the few slaves still strong enough to fight up to a walkway over a courtyard, I took my time to help each into a suitable firing position. “I know they are different, but please do not shoot the zebras. They will not hurt you again, and you will be free at the end of this.”

“No promises.” One mare grunted as she eased her pistol between two ramparts.

Having retrieved my battle saddle, I revved the mini-gun intently. “Do not make me shoot you, my dear. The new leader of the zebras has given his word, and he is a friend of mine.”

Colour draining from her face, the mare stayed silent.

“Now,” I addressed them, “the zebra will do most of the fighting. Concentrate on any at the edge of the enemy group. Shoot at those who are looking elsewhere.” Shouts and gunfire reached my ears. “Be ready, they are coming.”

The door to the courtyard burst open in a hail of gunfire, one unfortunate zebra propelled by the bullets. Half a dozen more, Naiara among them, tumbled through to scramble for cover.

Hopping up on the ramparts, I aimed at the empty doorway and let loose with everything on my saddle. The first of the Plottawans charged through the opening into my barrage, three getting cut down before they were able to return fire and drive me from my perch.

Two dozen more, advancing under cover from their vanguard, pressed into the courtyard itself. One they were all through, they immediately split into two groups, racing for two staircases in the closest corners.

Oh no. Heart thumping as I realised where those stairs would bring them out, I began tugging and pushing the slaves back the way we came. “DOWN! DOWN! THEY ARE COMING HERE!”

Tired and mistreated as they were, not all the slaves were fast enough to get off the walkway before the Plottawans bubbled up at the other end. The grousing mare, and four others, died as the enemy reached out level guns first.

Two unicorn slaves had conjured weak magic shields to guard our retreat, but they visibly cracked as we backed out way down the ramp. I took my shots where I could, but spent more time supporting the starving captives.

The Plottawans took up stations along the walkway, where we had been, looking down into the courtyard itself, where Naiara's zebra contingent were battling the other dozen.

“NAIARA, BEHIND!”

Heeding my warning, the zebra flipped and cantered erratically, confounding the aim of the Plottawans. She and her clanmates cavorted their way to us, at the doors to the other entrance to the courtyard, before we were driven back entirely into the building.

With one last, mournful look at the fallen zebra body as the doors closed, Naiara shook her head. “No good. We've got the numbers, just, but they know this place better than we do. We need a better plan than meeting them head on.”

“I am open to suggestions, dahling.” The closed doors held my gaze as I spoke, not daring to look away in case of another push.

“Let's regroup with Cept and the others for now. They've been here longer than I have.”

Forcing a chuckle as we jogged down the hall, I winked at her. “It is too bad we do not have our cute little Boss Colt here now.”

“You're fantasizing now?!”

“Not like that, dahling. He likes his plans.” A shot from behind dropped another slave. I spun and loosed a volley that drove our pursuers back around the corner.

Calling out in zebra, Naiara suddenly changed direction. “Head for the ballroom!”

Panting, the slaves struggled to follow. Only three were left now. Seeing their weakness, the chasing Plottawans surged forwards, falling among the slaves and knocking their weapons away.

Before the screaming ponies could be dragged away, Cept and two other zebra stallions appeared in the middle of the Plottawans. Throwing off their stealth cloaks, they lashed out in all directions with hoof, blade, and even Plottawa-owned firepower. Another two Plottawans died before they swarmed the zebra.

Seeing the danger, the two other stallions pushed Cept away from the rumble, back towards me. Shocked, he tried to keep fighting, but stopped when one of the zebra held up a small metal sphere.

“Cept, get back!”

My warning came just too late, as the explosion ripped apart the dogpile of slave, slaver, and zebra. Cept himself was taken off his hooves, rocketing straight into me. The two of us went down in a heap. The acrid smell of burning horse hair kept me focused, as my hooves stamped down on Cept's smouldering tail. When the embers were extinguished, we took in the explosion's outcome. Bodies were strewn all over the floor, not all in pieces. Charred zebra flesh lay next to melted uniforms and blackened pony forms.

Grimacing, Cept bowed his head to the dead slaves, and his clan brothers. “I could not save them.”

“Such is life, Cept.” I tugged at his shoulder. “You still have your clan to lead.”

Bruised and battered by the explosion, we limped down the corridor to the ballroom, before more Plottawans could follow. Inside, we found Naiara standing alone in the centre of the room. She held a rifle in her hooves, clearly uncomfortable with it, but she paid it little attention beyond holding it.

Following her gaze, we saw what was distracting her.

On the stage, wings spread in triumph, stood a pegasus in Plottawan attire. She was not alone. A score of Plottawans stood in a half-ring around her, all pointing their weapons at Naiara. One third changed to aim at us, so I slowly and deliberately released the mouth trigger of my battle saddle.

Flapping her wings, the Overmare rose in the air, looking down on us with a sneer. “You poor little squatters thought you could take Plottawa from me? My city? My slaves?”

“You're a Stable pony.” Naiara snarled. “How could you join up with slavers in the first place?”

Lazing haughtily in the air, the kept us waiting for a few seconds before she answered. “It was necessary to get back what was mine in the first place: My Stable.”

“The way I heard it, they kicked you out.” Naiara countered.

Willow Wisp's face contorted in anger for a moment, but calmed again when the doors behind Cept and I opened to admit the chasing slaver squad, weapons up and ready. “That was not their decision to make. I am the Overmare, not just any Stable pony. My treatment at their hooves was utterly unjust, thanks in no small part to the actions of one particularly useless filly.”

Cassie was not lying. She truly does not like Snowflake. “And who might that filly be, pegasus?”

Said pegasus' lips tightened up. “Nopony of consequence to you all. Now, I have nothing but respect for zebra, but I cannot allow you all to leave here after freeing my slaves. You will take their place. Our stock needs to be maintained, after all.” She put a hoof over her heart. “Oh, don't worry. Unlike the way you treated the slaves, you will be fed and cared for. My predecessor Peanut, may he rest in peace, was right in that regard. Mistreated merchandise lowers the value and reduces the chance of repeat business.” She turned her eyes skyward. “A pity that he is gone. He was a very intelligent pony. He can at least rest easy to know that his legacy is in my capable hooves.”

“While in your 'capable hooves',” an unseen voice echoed around the ballroom, “Plottawa fell to me and my clan, winged pony.”

Willow Wisp cast about in search of the voice. “Who's there?”

A zebra stealth cloak opened up at the far ballroom doors, revealing Atesh. His red robes covered his left side. “The one who took this place from you, 'Overmare'.” His left leg emerged from under his robes, showing the Pipbuck he wore on his wrist. “And here is something else I have taken from your 'capable hooves'.”

With a victorious grin, and a flourish of limbs, Atesh disappeared under the stealth cloak again. The door behind him opened.

Thrusting a hoof at the empty doorway, Willow Wisp shrieked at her Plottawan troops. “GET HIM! I want my Pipbuck!”

Fully half of her gathered troops charged for the doorway, yelling taunts at the elder zebra. Once they were through, she turned back to us. “As for you three. I am not the first to advocate this option, but...” Wrapping her lips around a pistol, she tongued the trigger.

I cried out as white hot pain burned through my shoulder. Cept grabbed for me as my strength evaporated, but couldn't reach before I toppled over, battle saddle cutting into my side.

“Schwarzwald! Where were you hit?”

Hissing, I rolled over to relieve pressure on the wound, feeling sticky blood on my shoulder as I did.

Through agony-fogged eyes, I saw Willow Wisp disdainfully examine her pistol. “There is some appeal to this, certainly, but I wouldn't call it addictive.” Holstering her weapon, she pointed at the slavers standing behind Cept and I. “Dispose of them, and return my Plottawa to me.”

The slavers didn't move.

“What's wrong?” She gestured again. “Capture them!”

The air around the Plottawan squad shimmered, and they collapsed. Their weapons didn't, however, and opened fire on the remaining slavers on the stage.

“What!” Willow Wisp shrilled as a stray bullet smashed the light next to her.

The phantom weapons danced and spun in the air, firing at anyone in a uniform. Catching on quickly, the slavers returned fire. The cloaked zebra responded by physically throwing the guns at the slavers, then charging them under cover of invisibility.

Without the weapons as targets, the Plottawans had nothing to aim at. Instead, they tried to take out the enemies they could see. Namely Naiara, Cept, and myself. If Cept hadn't tuck-and-rolled me further from the stage, a trio of shots would have put new holes in my head.

I still couldn't lift my limb, and my battle saddle was off-kilter and unfireable. There was little I could do in the fight except hope I didn't bleed out.

The stage had descended into half a dozen melee brawls between de-cloaked zebra and disarmed slavers. One powerful buck landed a hammerblow on the throat of a dancing zebra, whose eyes bugged out as she choked on her own windpipe.

Another zebra was fighting two Plottawans at once, ricocheting between the two of them with lightning fast jabs. The smaller of the two slavers made a grab for his back, but caught a backhoof in the chest for his trouble. The other one, taking advantage of the distraction, was more successful, and trapped the zebra stallion's front leg with his. The two grapplers used their free hooves to box, neither letting go while the other had face left to punch.

Unable to fight effectively and watch over me, Cept had gone on the offensive instead. He and Naiara moved in tandem. Charging two Plottawans, Cept threw himself into a four-hooved dropkick which staggered both enemies. Naiara vaulted off Cept's back to flip over to the other side of the slaver pair, then the two zebra converged. Cept went high with a right jab, Naiara scissor-kicked low.

Cept's opponent got a hoof up to block, then followed through with a vicious headbutt, rocking the clan leader's head back. Naiara's combatant was not so lucky. Chopped down by the scissor, an audible socket dislocation preceding her scream.

Not letting up, Naiara rolled back to her hooves, then torpedo'd straight over her downed foe for a hoofpoint jab into the nape of the one fighting Cept. Spasming from the nerve strike, he was unable to guard against the machine-gun barrage of mismatched zebra hooves drilling up and down his body, culminating in a cartilage-crushing cross. The two best friends were moving to assist their brethren before the body even hit the floor.

“What are you doing?” The disbelieving cry from on high drew my attention. The Overmare was hovering above the battle. The barrel of her pistol shook as more of her slavers went down. “Fight back, damn you!” She fired a shot, but jerked as she did so.

It made no difference. The last of the Plottawan soldiers were knocked out or killed. The mare with the dislocation now sported a nasty bruise on her temple, courtesy of one zebra who was annoyed by the wailing. It hadn't been without losses on our side either. As many zebra bodies as pony littered the floor.

There was only one pony left to deal with. Willow Wisp floated back and forth, looking for a way out, while zebra guarded the two doors.

Naiara and Cept stood in the centre of the room. “Give up, Overmare. You're beaten.”

“I am not beaten. You may have bested these soldiers, but I won't be stopped until I get my due!” She was spinning in place, trying to keep every zebra in her view at once.

“I promise you will not be harmed if you give up now.” Cept tried the diplomatic route.

She was having none of it. “I told you that I am not beaten! Don't talk to me as if I were.”

“What is wrong with her?” Naiara groused, not bothering to talk directly to the pony anymore.

Having pulled myself into a sitting position, though still not putting any weight on my wounded leg, I waved towards the door where Atesh had exited. “She is stalling, dahling, so that her other fighters can come rescue her.”

“NoI'mnot.” Willow Wisp's reply came far too quickly, with the words merging in her rush.

Not acknowledging the Overmare, Naiara was digging through the pockets of the Plottawans. “Come on, one of them's gotta have one... AHA!” She rose with a grin, brandishing a knife and a healing potion.

“Cept, watch the Overmare. I'm gonna fix up Schwarzwald.”

“Too late!” Seizing her moment, Willow Wisp soared down, jamming her pistol in her mouth as she dove, and landed beside me. Clicking the safety off, she jammed the barrel against my forehead. “Stay back, or she dies.”

Well, this is not very nice. Still weak, I tested my injury while Willow Wisp was frantically staring down Naiara and Cept. Ngn, still weak, but... Swinging, I rammed my hoof into the Overmare's chin, moving the gun barrel just enough that the instinctual shot went over my head rather than through it. Once she fell away, clutching at her jaw, my hoof dropped. Cept was on her instantly. The pistol clattered in the other direction.

I couldn't hold it up any longer. “Ow.”

Naiara approached me with the knife. “Sorry, but I gotta get the bullet out before you get the potion.”

My grimace was half smile. “Scars are sexy, Naiara. I'll remember you gave me this one. Do what you have to.”

The pain of the bullet, doubled by the probing knife, had incredible clarity. Every shredded nerve sang out as the blade brushed by them. To distract myself, I focused on more pleasurable images.

Naiara's flushed face as she concentrated.

Sweat running down Cept's chiselled jaw, set firm as he guarded the Overmare.

Willow Wisp, helpless beneath a more powerful body.

The sweet relief of the bullet tapping against the ballroom floor.

The way the light caught the potion as Naiara poured some into the wound itself.

Much better. Taking the rest to drink, I nodded my thanks to the mare.

She nodded back, and helped me up. “Still gonna need to take it easy. I don't think one potion'll do the trick.”

The rest of the Plottawans burst through the door, knocking aside the zebra guarding it.

My mini-gun roared until it was empty.

Turning away from the corpses, I quirked an eyebrow at her. “I think you are right. I will take it easy.”

She couldn't help herself, and let out a short laugh. “Show off.”

“Ptoo!”

Three pairs of eyes looked to the Overmare, just as her tooth fragment hit the floor. A dribble of blood ran from the corner of her mouth as she glared at us. “Don't think you have won. I will turn this around.”

“Perhaps you will have the chance if you play nice.” She shuddered as I bent down to lick the blood from her mouth. “I have some questions for you.”

Leaning back, her expression was anything but cooperative. “Don't touch me.”

I ignored her. “Who is the filly you spoke of before, and why do you hate her so?” Naiara caught my eye. We already know the first, but the second part should be interesting.

“...Her name is Snowflake. She is a less-than-average unicorn from my Stable that has been a drain on its resources since the day she was born.”

“Is that why you hate her?” Naiara pressed.

“She isn't worth hate, but she has inconvenienced me greatly. My opinion of her is justifiably less than favourable because her actions led directly to my ousting from my position, and from my Stable.” She rubbed the spot where her Pipbuck had been while speaking.

“What do you mean?” Snowflake was not in the Stable when you were exiled. How could she cause it?

“Snowflake found something, deep in my Stable. Something that had no business being there. Something that should not exist at all.” She grit her teeth, then immediately regretted it. “So, of course, that utterly useless girl was the one to find it, and all of a sudden she was the talk of the Stable. Rumour and hearsay ran out of control almost immediately. Everyone with an agenda wanted to get her on their side and for their cause. She destabilised everything I had worked to build. I could not allow that, so I did the most sensible thing I could.”

Now, we are getting somewhere. “What did you do?”

“Naturally, I had her killed.”

What? Naiara, Cept, and I all looked at each other. That makes no sense.

Seeing our poor poker faces, Willow Wisp chuckled and continued. “Oh, not directly, no. That might have come back on me. Rather, I had her spirited away into the Wasteland without telling anyone. Spun her a tale of the world outside the Stable walls. 'You won't be alone', I told her. I even threw in a little voice crack to show her I was 'sincere'. She needed to have something to keep her trying... and failing, until she failed too often and died. Her family was suspicious when she vanished, but they could prove nothing. She, and the secret she found, would trouble me no more. Except...”

“'Except'?”

Willow Wisp was no master of deception herself. Barefaced hatred erupted across her face. “Except she didn't die like she was supposed to. Everything would have been fine if she had. The matter would have been settled and my Stable would continue on as normal... but she didn't. That is why I hate her.”

Dumbfounded, Naiara struggled to form a response. “You... hate Snow... because she lived? You want her dead, and she didn't die. You try to get her killed, and she's the bad guy?”

The Overmare wriggled in Cept's grip. “My plans are more important than her. She wouldn't have been missed. Snowflake did nothing of note in her entire Stable life. She's was a placeholder, and no more.” She smiled bitterly. “Even worse, now it appears that she has caused me even more trouble, by sending you all to my Plottawa. Don't try to deny it, you just told me you call her 'Snow'. So, am I still the bad guy if she costs me my home and livelihood twice, zebra?”

“Yes, you crazy bitch!” Naiara's hoof stomped down an inch from Willow Wisp's head. “You're trying to kill my friend, because she wouldn't fall in line for your plans. Right now, that's a serious pet peeve for me!”

Nonplussed, the Overmare barely batted an eye at the threatening gesture. “I cannot overstate how little I care about your 'pet peeve'.”

Hauling her upright, Cept marched her towards the doors. “And we do not care about your anger at a mare who did nothing wrong. We will take you back to Snowflake, and she will decide your fate.”

Redoubling her efforts to escape, the Overmare gnashed and shook. “You think I will let her talk down to ME? Decide anything for ME? I am the Overmare, and she is nothing!”

My hearty laugh drew a glare from the pegasus. “How wrong you are, Willow Wisp. Dear Snowflake will show you the scale of your mistake.” It will be a good lesson, for you and for her. She will finally understand just how far she has come from the poor little Stable filly in the snow. “Here is a small taste.”

I pulled out my communicator. “Come in, uh... base. This is Schwarzwald.”

Esto's clipped mannerisms were even more obvious through the radio. “We read you, Schwarzwald. What is your situation?”

Too bad I do not know this one. I cannot tease her. “We have leader of the Plottawan slavers. We will be bringing her back with us.”

There was a slight pause. “...'her'? Isn't Peanut the leader of the Plottawans?”

“You must keep up, dahling.” I smiled to myself. “Peanut is trapped inside Lethbridle's walls. Willow Wisp is in charge now.”

“Now and forever!” The Overmare called out. Then she doubled over as Naiara slugged her in the stomach.

“I see.” Papers rustled on the other end of the call. “If you have Willow Wisp, what about Atesh and the zebra?”

Naiara made a 'one sec' movement, and disappeared through the hall. For a dozen moments, nothing could be heard but the static of the communicator, and the Overmare sucking in needed oxygen.

“BINN TUSAA!” We all perked up at Naiara's bellow, before she stormed back into the room. “Atesh is gone!”

“What?” Cept forgot himself and let go of Willow Wisp. “What do you mean? Where did he go?”

“Away, Cept.” Naiara pointed in a random direction. “He's got a stealth cloak, so he took off. Still got the lunatic's Pipbuck too!”

“Hello?” Esto called across the channel. “Did someone mention a Pipbuck?”

“My Pipbuck.” The Overmare growled from the floor.

“Shaddup.” Naiara commanded, before grabbing the communicator from me. “Atesh is gone. We've still got Willow Wisp, for all the good she does us.”

“In that case,” Esto interrupted. “I have a message for you from Wings.”

“Wings?” I perked up. She is finished with Whinniepeg already? Why did she not call us directly?” “What is the message?”

“She and Bosco would like you to meet them at Lethbridle's north gate. You should bring Willow Wisp with you.”

“Why?” Naiara looked as confused as Cept or I.

“She says that she has learned something new, and needs to talk with you all about it.”

Naiara still looked puzzled. “What about Snow and Undertow? They were with them too.”

“They are looking into other leads from the new information. All four are fine and safe.” Esto's voice was flat. “Please, meet up with Wings and Bosco as soon as you can.”

Cept passed the Overmare to me. “I must speak with our clan. I will be back shortly.”

“Wait!” Tossing the communicator back to me, Naiara hurried after him. “I better come too. The new Elder should address the whole clan, after all.”

Conflicting emotions ran across Cept's face when he heard the title, but he steeled himself with a nod. The two zebra closed the door behind them, leaving me and the Overmare along among the bodies.

Dragging her over to the stage, I sat on the steps with battle saddle pointed at her. “Did you enjoy your short time as mistress of Plottawa, Overmare?”

Mindful of the bruise in her gut, she stood on shaky legs. “You could still let me go, you know. When I get my Stable back, I will have access to technology and supplies that simply don't exist in the Wasteland anymore. I'm sure we could work out an agreement?”

“I already have a rich backer,” even if she doesn't have a cap to her name right now, “and I think it would be much more fun to see what happens when I bring you to Snowflake.”

Sniffing in derision, she turned her head way. “Wastelanders truly are savages.”

“It is true,” I agreed. “we do live in interesting times.” Snowflake will happily make that clear to you, I am sure.

“GOT THAT RIGHT, LADY!” Bursting in through the opposite door from that which the zebra had used, a quartet of uncomfortably familiar fliers soared up to the ceiling.

“McCoy’s Monsters?” I was on my hooves immediately, but the sad click of my empty gatling gun did little except draw smiles.

One griffon, straw-coloured from head to claw, smirked. “Looks like we missed a hell of a party. Too bad, but we’re on the job. Our boss wants us to bring back the boss of Plottawa. Point 'em out for us, will ya?”

Forgetting myself, I looked to the Overmare. What does Latvi want with her?

The straw griffon noticed where I was looking. “Well, that's lucky. We'll be going now.” He waved two of the other Monsters over to pick up the Overmare, who gave a startled neigh.

“WAIT!” My charge towards the door, to cut them off, was derailed when the fourth griffon swooped close past me and sent me tumbling.

As quick as they arrived, the four griffons exited the way they'd come, now with a fifth pair of wings in their midst.

“Schwarzwald!” Cept and Naiara, leading the rest of their clan, barrelled through the other doors. “We heard you shout.”

“Where's the Overmare?”

Waving off the zebra who offered a helping hoof, I stood and spat out my useless mouth trigger. “Sorry, dahlings. Latvi's griffons came. They took her.”

“What in the hell for?”

“I honestly do not know.” What are you planning, Latvi?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Turning away from the overcast skies through the window, I spoke up to break the silence of the carriage. “So, are we really never going to talk about Cassie saying Breeze isn't her real sister?”

Bosco and Undertow, the other two occupants of the carriage, instantly looked at each other. Their eyes were wide open.

“Uh...” Bosco began, not facing me.

“Um...” Undertow echoed, but she did manage to meet my gaze. “Does it matter, truly?”

Are you kidding, Undertow? “Of course it does.”

Bosco finally shifted to look back at me. “Doesn't seem to bother you two any.”

“That's different.” My magic brushed against Undertow's, bringing a smile to her face. “I've never said that Undertow wasn't my sister. Well, maybe once to stop my enemies from targeting her.”

“Well, there you go.” Bosco jumped in. “They're pegasi, and we know they've got some sort of past with Raiders. Even if they didn't, there are a lot of folks around who don't think highly of winged ponies. She could've been just trying to keep Breeze safe, like you did.”

“Oh, come on.” I groaned. “They're the only two pegasi within a hundred miles and, aside from the manes, they look just like each other. You're telling me people couldn't put two and two together?” Something twinged in the back of my brain. “Oh, I guess the Overmare's another pegasus now, huh? Still, the point stands.”

Turbulence filtered back through the magic link. “Why take the chance? I know you would do all you could to keep me safe. You have done as much as you could. The same with our brothers, and they're three times our size. Wouldn't Cassie do the same for Breeze?”

“I guess...” Why am I getting ganged up on?

Emphatically nodding, Bosco was not so hesitant. “She would. No doubt about it.”

“Mhm.” Undertow radiated agreement through her face and horn.

Fighting the sensations without inadvertently upsetting my sister was becoming difficult. “Okay, while fully aware that I am the one who brought this up, why are you two so adamant about this?”

Bosco's reply was simple. “Cassie and I can actually stand each other.”

My frown deepened. Cocky little...

Bolstered by our connection, Undertow was more comprehensive. “We've all fought together for a while now, big sister. Yes, things were rocky at first, but now we're all fighting on the same side.” Her heavy stare rooted me in place. “You can't go through all that without knowing you can trust each other, Snowflake. You've changed through what has happened to us and between us, and so have we all. Just like you and I, Cassie and Breeze aren't the mares they were when we first met. Can you not recognise that by now? Trying to convince yourself that you should keep hating them has to be tiring for you, so can't you lay the matter to rest?”

Green fire burned, and suddenly Cassie stood where Bosco was. “Couldn't hurt, Snow.”

A twinge of contempt ran through me at the sight of the sniper pegasus, and I hastily cut off my connection before Undertow picked up on it. Not cool, Bosco.

Goggles now lowered, Undertow's soulful orange eyes bored into mine. “Please?”

Damn, not fast enough. The scars on my hooves and chest itched as I thought of Cassiopeia Venatici.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We trudged through the dilapidated buildings of Whinniepeg, heading for the 'irradiated' building we'd visited several times before. Really is a cute trick to fool radiation sensors like that.

Speaking of cute tricks... We'd entered a clearing, with a familiar charred bench. Someone sucked in air through their nostrils behind me as I trotted up to the busted furniture. The discarded packet of Radsafe I'd been drinking was crumpled up at the base of one leg, the few drops left inside discoloured and spoiled by the weeks of weather exposure.

The crunch of gravel under paw told me who now stood behind me. “Been a while since...” She began tentatively.

“Yeah, feels even longer.” Almost a past life. “Never did get around to getting my Pipbuck back from Cassie, did I?”

Wings snorted uneasily. “I never thought to ask. Just gonna say this now: I gave you back the Memory Orb. Whatever happened with your Pipbuck? She did it.”

“Damn straight she did.” We shared a laugh.

Sobriety returned quickly. “Undertow thinks I should forgive and forget with Cassie. Bosco wants it too.”

“...do you want to?”

The bitch shot me three times! “No!” I snapped, surly, before softening. “But... I guess I'd rather not be always angry with a girl who's probably gonna be a big part of all our lives from now on.”

“You are better when you're smiling.” Her tone was matter-of-fact. “I'll see what I can do.”

“You?” I glanced over.

“Yeah, well,” one claw waved back and forth. “I was there too. Like we said, a lot's gone down between then and now. Figure I've got a few more favours to pay you back.”

As if I don't owe you? “I stopped counting after we settled the third favour in Lethbridle, Wings.”

Her claw curled into a fist. “I don't have an exact number either, but I'm okay adding one to it regardless.” She smirked. “You know us Schwarzwald-adopting pony-griffons: We always gotta pay our debts.”

“You are a remarkably stubborn lot, every one of you.” Smiling, I aimed a kick at the bench. There was no anger in the strike, rather it just felt like the thing to do.

KRGK! The bench split where I'd kicked, collapsing inwards.

The two of us just blinked for a few moments.

“...nice kick?”

“...whoops.”

“Guys, c'mon.” Bosco and Undertow clattered up to us. “I wanna get down there.”

Without waiting for an answer, he bit down on Wings' tail and started dragging. She yelped and tugged back, until he stilled her with a look.

Undertow followed suit, but more gently. She simply picked me up in her magic, as she had done in the meeting at Sprinkles Supplies, and followed the colt. “Please stay on task, big sister. We are here to help Bosco.”

Griffon in tow, Bosco made straight for the fog-inhabited structure. Booting straight through the double doors, his lack of hesitation startled those inside. Golden miasma seeped through the walls and floor, gathering into a thick fog cloud.

Bosco strode right up to it, unblinking. “We'll be down shortly. Tell the others we're on our way.”

To the extent that a formless mass of gold gas could look perturbed, it did. Swelling in front of him and looming.

To his credit, Bosco didn't move, opting to simply keep staring. It was only when I caught a glimpse reflected light that I realised he was sweating down the back of his neck.

The cloud remained puffed for a second or two longer, then dissipated into the walls.

My hooves clicked on the floor as Undertow lowered me down, goggles still on Bosco.

Wings whistled low. “Boss. Colt.”

He gulped heavily. “Let's go before they figure it out.”

On the way down, through hallways no longer blocked by 'debris', Bosco's sweating intensified. So much so that, walking with him as Wings and I took up the rear, Undertow had to stop and cool him down with her water magic more than once. “Please try to stay calm, Bosco. We won't let anything happen to you. We are only here for answers, not to fight.”

“Do they know that?” He grumbled, but pressed on.

Navigating down through the bowels of the building, the corridors and rooms seemed in far worse condition than I remembered. The Silver Fog fight must've been a rager. The two warring factions had ripped through walls, shattered furniture, collapsed stairways and ceilings, and generally thrown a whole heap of filth and grime around.

A thought made me giggle a little bit. What if the Gold Fog are the neat ones, and have always been hiding the dirt when we were here? Then the Silver come in and total the place.

Bosco's glare did nothing to lessen my amusement at the idea.

Wings moved into the centre of our foursome, and spoke up just enough for us to hear. “They're following us. Gold flashes in the cracks and missing panels. Watch what you say.”

Bosco snorted. “Paranoid much? We didn't come here by accident. We know they live here. We're actually here to see them. You'd think they'd save themselves the trouble.”

Undertow looked directly at an open junction box until a faint glittering appeared. “I don't think they know any other way.”

“Sucks to be them.” Snorting more forcefully, the colt quickened his pace. “Let's keep moving. I don't think we're that far now.”

He turned out to be correct. Only two more twisting corridors, and the final flight of stairs, were between us and the wide open chamber where we'd encountered the master of this place, the giant golden Alicorn.

The same one that we now saw before us again. Well, almost. Our arrival seemed to have thrown the Gold Fog for a loop, as the Alicorn stood stock still, glaring imperiously down at us. Its wings, horn, and other extremities were jagged, roiling, unfinished. A steady stream of gold filtered in from all sides, molten ore to fill out the mold.

Caught you without your makeup on, did we?

Clearing its throat, a rumbling echo swarming the chamber, it spoke. “We did not summon you, nor are you welcome here. Why have you come back?”

Okay, that's still scary. The four of us crowded together, with Bosco in the centre.

The colt craned his neck upwards. “A lot has happened, and I think you might know something about this.”

Finally finished forming, the giant pony flexed its wings. The backdraft almost bowled us over. “What has happened, and why would we know?” Another beat of its feathers lifted the manes back off our faces. “Furthermore, why would we tell you anything?”

Giving us a 'make some room' motion, Bosco took a deep breath. “Because your Silver buddies seem to think I'm important.” Green fire flashed, and Cassie stood where Bosco had been a moment ago. “Do you?”

The Alicorn quirked one tarantubaa-sized eyebrow. “Indeed.” A satisfied smile split the colossal face. “We were wrong before. You are indeed welcome here, child. It is good to see you again, after so long.”

Cassie flashed back to Bosco. “You know who I am?”

It nodded. “Your name may take some time, but we do know who you were before, and why you have been alone for so long.”

“And why you made no effort to find or help me?” Bosco countered, staring unblinkingly at a pony a thousand times his size. “You're like the Silver Fog, right? You're Changelings too?”

The smile on the Alicorn's face dulled. “Sending you away was... not our choice. It was a failed endeavour, one that continues to cost our race dearly.”

“Was it Chrysalis?” I enquired.

“QUEEN CHRYSALIS!” Roaring, the gold collective slammed their hooves down, toppling all four of us. “SHE IS OUR QUEEN, AND YOU WILL REFER TO HER AS SUCH!”

“Not... my queen!” With gritted teeth, Bosco stood back up. “I am Bosco, an earth pony. What I was born as won't change who I am.”

Anger giving way to disappointment, the Alicorn looked on Bosco as a parent would an unruly child. “Why would you wish to remain a mere pony? It is because of the ponies, and the equally foolish zebra, that we are in this situation.” Disappointment became a thousand-yard stare. “Without their mistakes, our glorious and radiant Queen would not be tied to their mountain tomb.”

“Wait, what?!” Pushing past Bosco, I waved the Alicorn back to the room. “What'd you just say about Chrysalis?”

“She is Queen...” It began, exasperated, before relenting. “Under the mountain. She shields herself, the focal point, and the pink pony princess, in the coffin you so perversely call a Stable.”

My tongue decided to stop working, sending all its energy to my fizzing brain. Stable 61! Chrysalis and Cadence are IN THE STABLE! We'd know if they were. There's no way they could hide that, is there? A hundred thoughts assaulted me all at once, but two in particular stood out.

The first was accompanied by an image of a stoic pegasus. The Overmare! Did she know? Did she cover it up? I can't let her control this. Wait, she's out now... DOES THAT MEAN ROC KNOWS? THAT JACKHOLE WILL RUIN EVERYTHING!

The second thought finally managed to muscle the first out of the way. Unless... what if neither of them know? What if nobody does? They could be sat on top of a ticking time bomb! If they blizzard fails, it could lead the Windigoes right into the Stable! They'd all die!

The assault of imagination left me feeling dizzy. While I reeled, Bosco stepped up again. “You didn't answer my question. In all the time I was out there by myself, why did you never contact me?”

To my utter surprise, a look of hesitation came across the Alicorn's face. “It was... not our place to approach you. Our Queen would not have wanted—”

“LIES!”

The four of us, and however many Changelings made up the Alicorn, turned back towards the staircase, where a boiling mass of Silver bled through the opening into the chamber. Undertow, Wings, Bosco, and I were forced back to the bottom of the stairs as the Silver Changelings coalesced into a second Alicorn, equal to the first in all but colour.

The air pressure ramped up immediately as a second pair of skycarriage-wide wings began beating for emphasis. “You do not deserve to speak for our beautiful and magnificent Queen!” After snarling at the Gold Alicorn, the Silver giant turned softening eyes on us. “Are you alright, Bosco? You should not have come here. These fools do not have your best interests at heart.”

“And you do?” Gold scoffed behind a wing. “We speak for all Changelings, not just those who have turned their back on our resplendent Queen Chrysalis.”

Silver grimaced, but did not retort. Instead, it stayed focused on Bosco. “Are you alright? Did they do anything to you?”

“Not this time.” Bosco's hoof stayed ready by his knife holster. “We were discussing why I was thrown out into the Wasteland alone, with no sort of heads up as to who or what I was.”

“For six years!” Undertow piped up. My sister hadn't moved far from Bosco the entire time, clearly not happy to be in the presence of Changeling gehstalt-Alicorns again.

“Let Bosco and Undertow talk,” the last member of our group murmured into my ear, “I'll watch Goldie, you watch Silvia. We move if they do, got it?”

I replied out of the tiniest corner of my mouth. “Sounds good.”

'Silvia' nodded sadly. “It tore us apart to do that to you, our brothers and sisters, but we had to. Without our efforts—”

“...we would all be in a stronger position.” 'Goldie' whipped her horn forward, into the Silver mane, which parted around the horn before reforming. “All you have done is jeopardise every duty that we were charged with!”

That one, the Silver Changelings could not let go. Rearing around, they clashed horns with the Gold beast. “We were charged with preserving and strengthening the Changeling race, you pretentious pretenders, and we have done so.” They forced Goldie back. “Unlike you, who has let our race weaken and decay! You did nothing to help, only sat around and waited for salvation, all under the banner of 'tradition'. Traditions you failed to recognise were dangerously obsolete without our transcendent Queen!”

Goldie rallied and pushed back, pressing Silvia and ourselves to the wall. “That has been your argument for six years, and it is no more true now than it was when you first embarked upon your fool's errand. All you have done is accelerate our demise!”

I whacked my hoof against the wall as loud as I could. “REMEMBER WE'RE HERE TOO, YOU CLUMSY PRICKS! Gonna squish Bosco after you spent so much time getting this all out in the open?!”

Instead of getting into another shoving match, 'Silvia' dissolved into an entire wing of angry Changelings. The thrum of their gossamer wings filled my ears instantly. They remained in concert as they all called out. “Your traditions are guaranteed death! Dying more slowly is no worthy goal. Our gamble gives we Changelings a chance for survival, and possibly a new, sustainable way to live! We have heard your bleating before too!”

The racket in the air became almost a physical force as 'Goldie' reverted to her chitinous individual elements too. “If we abandon all that we are and believe in, we risk losing our connection to the Queen! What if your machinations deprive her of the source of her power? We have seen for ourselves that the threat endures! Lethbridle will be just the first if we cannot feed Queen Chrysalis' soul and spirit!”

What the hell are these guys talking about? Through some miracle, I managed to draw the attention of the others, to get some non-verbal answers.

My 'the fuck?' gesture was met by my sister's head shake, Bosco giving a furious shrug, and a 'they're nuts' temple claw-twirl from Wings.

The charcoal colt wasn't interested in sitting on the sidelines as the two groups rehashed years-old arguments. Grabbing me around the ear, he pressed his lips nearly into the canal. “Snow, get their attention!”

“How?” We were barely audible over the ongoing shouting match above us. There were so many Changelings in the room that I couldn't see the ceiling anymore.

“Make a blizzard, like you did in Lethbridle. They were watching then, and they'll see it now.”

“I can't do it on a whim, Bosco. I could barely walk after that time!”

He dismissed my criticism, blank-faced. “You're not trying to cover an entire city. Don't even need to fill the room, just get their attention. Kick out some mist, I've seen you do that before!”

“Alright, fine.” A 'please' or 'thank you' might be nice. The glacier-blue glow washed over the others, before the air around me turned hazy. As condensation settled on my nose, I directed the spell upwards.

In a tight spiral, cold air blew upwards, between the two groups of Changelings. I fed the spell until the white turned opaque, then let it spread out in a frigid sphere.

The sudden drop off in noise, punctuated by sharp surprise from some of the insectile ungulates, let me know I had their attention.

“It's a Windigo!”

Nope. Got rid of one, though.

“Everyling for themselves!”

'Everyling'. That's kinda cute.

“No, it's her!”

Yep.

“She's a Windigo!”

Rude.

“She’s a witch!”

Ruder.

“She’s a Witchigo!”

Oh, come on!

A trio of Changelings from the Gold Fog faction dropped from the pack, to slam in front of us. They glared at Bosco and I. “Why are you attacking us?”

“We're not,” Bosco griped, “we're just getting your attention. I have enough to think about without you bunch of idiots wasting my time.”

The three Changelings were matched by the same number from the Silver Fog side. “We're trying to help you, Bosco. Remain calm and let us.”

The charcoal colt was having none of us, jerking back and forth between the two delegations. “You all have put me through hell for weeks now, and think I'll just sit back and listen to whatever you say? You wanna talk to me about this crap? You six stay, the rest leave. Then we can get down to it. I am not friends with any of you, don't act as if I like this.”

While the Gold group glared, the Silver side nodded. “That's fair. We do owe you.” At a glance from the leader, the other parts of Silvia waiting in the air shifted to fog, and disappeared up the stairway.

“Well, we don't!” The other side countered. None of Goldie's parts made any move to leave.

“Then we shall leave, and talk with the Silver Changelings alone.” Undertow's sharp rebuke was punctuated with a glare. “For all their mistakes, THEY did not pluck us from our friends.”

She held the gaze of the Gold leader without flinching. After a half-dozen heartbeats, the Changeling looked away, sulking. “We sensed something, and acted to investigate.”

“By grabbing us, and leaving our friends high and dry in the middle of a firefight.” If they expected sympathy, they would be disappointed. “I don't care what you thought you sensed. You could have killed us all. You almost did kill our friend.” You're just lucky Naiara pulled through. If she hadn't, I'd have brought this entire building down on top of you.

A brief quiet followed, before the Gold leader silently waved away all of its still-airborne compatriots.

Surprisingly, the Silver side came to their defence. “Our business is not with you, pony, but with our wayward son here.” The Changeling, whose gender I could not identify, if it even had one, rounded on Bosco. “We have agreed to your terms, Bosco. Will you accommodate us in return?”

“What do you want?”

Both trios nodded at each other before responding. “Can you speak to us as a Changeling?”

Stunned silence was the response. Bosco stood stock-still, jaw slack. Undertow tried to wrap her hooves around him, but he didn't seem to feel it.

Eventually, in a haunted, choking voice, he spoke seven words. “I don't know what I look like.”

“We know,” the Silver leader looked on, not unkindly, “we wiped that from your mind too.”

“'too'?” I started. “What else did you hide from him?”

“Everything. Species. Appearance. Name. Every last detail was sealed away, so that others would accept the pony before them. So that they would accept Bosco.”

Undertow hugged Bosco tighter as he mewled quietly.

Wings looked between the colt and the Silver leader. “So then why'd you give him a name like Bosco?”

Glassy eyes blinked. “What do you mean?”

Wings ticked off names on her claws. “Snowflake. Undertow. Aqua Breeze. Willow Wisp. Any of those sounding like a 'Bosco' to you?”

“...we don't spend much time with ponies.” Even through chitin, Silver blushed.

“Hah!” The Gold trio piled on. “Your whole approach was flawed from the start. All you've done with this is deplete our already dwindling numbers. You should have retrieved all of the children years ago.”

Silver leader bared its fangs. “Bosco survived, the others will too!”

“Stop talking like Bosco's not here!” Undertow's rebuke cracked like a whip.

She still held the colt close, but he appeared to be rousing from his stupor. His head came up again, and he spoke with a steady tone. “Who was he?”

Breaking its staring match with Gold, Silver collected itself before calmly addressing Bosco. “Who was who?”

“The pony whose face I'm wearing.”

The response was an uncaring shrug. “We don't know. All we ever knew of him was his body. We copied it in every detail, except for the bullet hole in his head.”

As Bosco rubbed at a phantom wound on his forehead, Silver extended a carapaced hoof. “We can help you find your true face. We shut you away, but we can bring you out again.”

Fear shifted to anger, and the hoof was knocked away. Bosco shrugged Undertow off. “WHY DID YOU DO THIS? You keep talking but you never answer that question! Why me? Why this?” Bosco's own hoof came up, jabbing at Gold. “This one says you're running out of Changelings and Chrysalis is suffering for it. You say you're looking for a new way. WHICH IS IT?”

“We were trying to not die.”

“EVERYONE IS!”

“No,” Gold interrupted, “not individually. They mean that we're trying to not go extinct.”

Stopped in our proverbial tracks, we waited in silence for them to continue.

Chittering, the second Gold member spoke next. “Our illustrious Queen Chrysalis is necessary for the survival of our race.”

“Ponies think like that too.” I moved to stand across from Gold-2. “We miss our Princesses, but we've made it 200 years without them.”

Silver-2 formed a triangle with Gold-2 and I. “If you can call how your ponies act 'making it'. But we are not speaking in metaphor.”

Gold-2 nodded. “Without our melodious royalty, the Changeling race has halved in size seven times in the past two centuries Where before there were dozens, now there is only one.”

Mirroring me, Wings had moved to counter the -3s. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Silver-3 rubbed their stomach. “What do you believe is the greatest act of love that can be performed?”

“Uh...” Wings scratched her cheek. “Protecting the ones you love?”

“Trusting them?” Undertow supplied.

“Not lying to them?” Was Bosco's caustic try.

I'd been watching Silver-3's hoof. “...a baby? Is that what you mean?”

Gold-3 chirped. “Indeed. There is no greater outpouring of love than that of a parent to a child.”

Not sure I agree, but...

The Changeling continued. “For a happy and healthy child, great quantities of love are required.” The corners of its mouth turned down, and its brow furrowed. “But what would happen when the child, so hungry for love, takes more than the parents can give?”

We all blinked. Bosco found his voice first. “I don't understand.”

Silver leader pointed between itself and Gold leader. “You may know this already, but we Changelings crave love because we are ourselves beings of hate. We must maintain the balance. Ponies must too, but they are closer to the centre of the spectrum, and do not suffer so from too much or too little of either love or hate.”

Chrysalis' words from the Memory Orb came back to me.

“You of all ponies, Crystal Princess, should know how destructive unchecked love can be.”

“What does this have to do with children?”

Gold leader pressed its hooves together. “Changelings spend years learning to moderate their intake of love, to make it last. Like ponies, we know that we can survive going hungry for short periods. This is not the case for babies. They do not yet understand how to be calm when in need. Instead, they panic.”

Silver-2 also joined its hooves. “You are a new existence, and your body and soul have relied on two sources, your parents, for everything in your very short life. If you feel that you need something, you will look to those parents for it.”

Now it was Gold-3's turn. “Changeling babies need such love to survive their journey into this world, and the only source they know is the parents. Unfortunately, the parents themselves have so little love to spare, and no way to tell their little one to stop.”

Wings clapped a claw over her mouth. “You're not saying...”

All three parted their hooves. “The parents give all their love to their child. The greatest outpouring of love... and doing so kills them. The child is too needy, and there is barely enough love for two, let alone three.”

Silver-3 raised its wings. “Two parents die,” then dropped one. “one child lives. Each new generation is half that of the last.”

Bosco was now clinging as tightly to Undertow as she was to him. “Every time? The parents always die?”

Silver leader knocked a hoof against its forehead and pointed at him. “Without help, yes. That is why our generous Queen is vital to our survival. She is strong, stronger than both parents combined. She can offset the newborn's drain on the parents, by giving of herself. Three can nourish the child, where two cannot.”

Wings, Undertow and I all looked to Bosco. The colt was quaking, lost in all these new revelations. His body didn't know how to react. His cheeks were drawn in, but his jaw puffed out. His shoulders tensed as his elbows shook. Thrashing tail contrasted drooping ears.

No answers, just more questions. You don't deserve this.

I keep thinking that about you, Bosco. Every time we learn something more.

All six Changelings looked in the same direction. I was absolutely sure they were looking towards the Stable. “Chrysalis is not just a splendid Queen, she is honoured mother to our entire race. Without her, we will become fewer with each new generation, until we are no more.”

Blinking mistiness from their peculiar eyes, the three Silvers returned to the conversation. “To that end, rather than wait for this slow death, we sent our children out into the Wasteland. They were to find love, and a place for themselves. Possibly, in time, for us as well.”

I shivered as a sudden breeze blew in from the stairs.

The three Golds snorted. “And wiped away everything that made them Changelings in the process. You gave them false, hollow lives, and it was all for nothing. Bosco here is the only one to find his way back, and he is scared half to death. That is after spending so long without his family. This madness does not engender love any more than having Raiders nearby engenders trade. What would our magnificent Queen think of your failure?”

Something light and wet settled on the tip of my horn. I wiped it off with my hoof, feeling it melt as I did.

The Silvers didn't seem to notice. “What would she think of your inaction? You did nothing but sit back and claim tradition as an excuse for stagnation! As our numbers shrink, you found no more success in finding love to keep our watchful Queen strong than we did!”

I flicked my ears as more of the cold settled there. Is that... snow?

“Your gamble might have doomed us all!”

Blowing the frost off my lips, I bustled in close with Undertow and Bosco. Wings joined us soon after. All four of us were shaking off ever-increasing amounts of ice, which did not help Bosco at all. Already suffering, his shivering only increased as the temperature dropped.

Sending a pulse through her horn to get Undertow's attention, I motioned towards the stairs. “I think that's enough for today. Let's get him out of here.” My voice was a whisper, to avoid tipping off the Changelings, even if we were all but forgotten in their arguing.

“Sounds like a plan.” Wings' claws tapped her holstered revolvers. “I'll watch the rear, in case they decide not to let us go.”

“You first, Snow,” Undertow hadn't released the colt, instead gently guiding him with her body, “do what you can to keep the cold away from him.”

“Guys, no.” Croaking painfully, Bosco tried to wipe his eyes clear. “I still have questions.”

“There's gonna be time for questions, Bosco.” I put as much warmth into my words as I could. “Don't try to do it all at once.”

I remember every time I told that to Al, when he wanted to learn something new. He never wanted to wait either. Just like him, you can't learn what it is to be a Changeling in a day. It's gonna take time.

Bosco continued to resist distractedly, even as Undertow manoeuvred him towards the exit. “Still don't know who I was... or whose body this is...”

“There will be time.” Undertow's patience didn't waver. She just stuck close, and never raised her voice.

With the Gold and Silver trios still bickering at each other, we were able to start up the stairs without any trouble.

That was when the screaming started.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Echoing down from the unseen heights, a multitude of voices cried out in a wailing sea. Following in the wake of that sea came a horrendous baying.

My blood went cold. I know that sound. A few steps further up, Wings also found herself rooted in place. The blue flame of her eyes flickered uncertainly as we locked gazes.

As one, we turned and began shoving Undertow and Bosco back the way we came. “Down! Down! Get back!”

Their bickering forgotten, the six Changelings were waiting to haul us out of the way as a bitter, biting wind drove a swirling maelstrom of mixed Gold and Silver back into the basement. The interweaving fogs exploded out to fill every corner of the air, with suddenly-solid Changelings ricocheting off the walls, floors, and each other. Two inverted Silvers cross-blocked a dizzied Gold, which plummeted out of the air in panic.

Everyone was yelling at once, rendering all words indecipherable. The two leadership trios raced from one cache to another, calling for calm, but their pleading fell on deaf ears.

Cowering in the corner, Wings and I did what we could to protect our younger charges. “Bosco, whatever you do, stay behind me. Stay with Undertow.”

Spinning her revolver slots, Wings watched the room's entrance. “Think it's the same one, or did we get super lucky?”

I blinked through purple smoke. “Does it matter? If it comes after us, grab those two and go. I'll slow it down, same as before.”

“'Before' almost killed you, Snow. You barely made it out. We're not outside this time. It'll turn you into a snowcone!” Wings slammed home a fresh set of rounds as punctuation.

I half-growled at her. “Bullets won't hurt it, Wings! My spell at least drove it off.”

“And now it's back!” She full-growled. “We need a new idea, Snow!”

“What is it?” Demanded Undertow. “What's coming?”

“A Windigo.” Grim fear dripped from my words.

Undertow paled. “Bosco is a Changeling. If it comes—”

“If it comes, we stop it.” Wings interrupted, before tapping Bosco with her tail. “Listen, Bosco, I know things suck right now, but we could really use some of those Boss Colt smarts right now. What's the play?”

Appealing to familiarity seemed to, at least for the moment, drag him out of his own head. For the first time in days, determination set across his face. “Okay. How did you fight the last one?”

“Chrysalis' blizzard. It blocks their vision, or senses or whatever. They can't see through it. I whipped up a blizzard of my own, sat it between the Windigo and Lethbridle. I think it got confused and, well, wandered off.”

“It was cooler than it sounds, but yeah that's basically what happened.”

“IT'S COMIIIYYYAAAHHH!” The warning shriek cut off abruptly in the darkness.

“Okay,” numbers crunched behind his grey eyes. “so that can slow it down, but how do we stop it?”

“I don't know, that's all I could manage of Chrysalis' tricks. She made some kinda magic cages to hold 'em in the Memory Orb, but I can't do that.”

“We can.” Gold- and Silver-leaders chorused as they dropped down beside us. “You say our insightful Queen could trap these beasts? Then so can we. The revered Mother may be without equal, but we are many. We will see her will done.”

“SCATTER!”

In a great rush of frigid air, the Windigo burst into the room. The Changelings scrambled to get out of its way as it charged after them. Two unlucky souls didn't make it, and were swallowed up into the ethereal body. Through the translucent form, their struggles played out in mere seconds.

As it reached the far end of the chamber, the Windigo began a slow, lazy turn. Two mangled, wingless, frostbitten corpses dropped to the chamber floor. Their carapaces cracked on impact, but their expressions of horror didn't budge.

“Wings, distract it!” Bosco jostled his way to the centre of the gathered bodies. “Everybody else, get out of the building. Lead it outside!”

“On it.” With a flick of her feathers, the griffon went airborne, ducking and juking towards the wind demon.

“Snow, get to the top of the stairs, when everybody's out, throw up your blizzard cover so Wings can get clear. Then both of you run like hell!”

Oh sure, easy for you to say. “Alright. Undertow, stay with Bosco.”

She didn't argue, just followed the Changelings up the stairs. “Stay safe. Get out as soon as you can. We'll be ready.”

Bosco hesitated a moment longer. “She's right, Snow. Don't hang around.”

“I could tell you the same thing. You're its lunch, not me.”

Queasy at the thought, Bosco sprinted up the stairs.

Alright then.

Backtracking up the stairs, my attention was fixed on the show Wings was putting on. The griffon used every trick in the book. When it lunged for her, she pulled back. When it bit out, she twisted forwards before the jaws could close around her.

The Windigo filled the air around itself with ice, covering her wings in dead weight, but she just dropped, using the momentum for a mighty flap to clear the frost.

I reached the top of the stairs, and my horn lit up. “Wings, this way!”

Abandoning all evasive action, she turned straight around and charged towards me.

Held in a ball, my blizzard spell split out into two Cryo Serpents, surging either side of Wings as she powered up, and colliding behind her to spread out in a wide disc.

Huffing and puffing, Wings halted by my top step. “Good job. Now let's get out of here before it figures out we're gone.”

Ice was spreading across the walls and floor around my blizzard shield, so we beat a hasty retreat through the corridors and walkways of the building. We were almost out when the Windigo's furious howl echoed around and past us.

We found an extra gear in response, and needed it too. We'd barely gotten out of the building and behind cover when the remains of the windows blew out, and the ghostly half-horse emerged.

Changelings buzzed nearby, hidden by the buildings like us, but watching the winter creature's every move. Gold and Silver were forgotten now, both groups joining forces against a much greater threat.

Snuffling, the Windigo moved this way and that on the wind, seeking out its prey.

“So now what?” Wings' breathing had lightened, but she was in no hurry to dance with the devil again.

“Dunno. Bosco didn't explain past this point.” Whisper or not, the Windigo's head snapped up. The two of us held our breath until it resumed its searching. “Fuck, that was close. Where the hell's Bosco with the plan?”

“Snow.”

“Any Changeling wanna jump in here? They were the ones who wanted to cage the thing.”

“Snow.”

“I mean, seriously, did they just ditch us?”

“Snow, shut the hell up!” Her whispered hiss broke through my grumblings.

“What?” I glowered at her but she didn't look back.

Her attention was on the monster. “Snow, it's looking at you.”

“What?” Risking a glance through a crack, her assertion was confirmed. No longer meandering back and forth, the Windigo barely wobbled in the air. It's attention, through our concrete barricades, was focused right on me. “How?”

“Oh, fuck.” Sounding a lot further away than the half-metre she was, Wings reached out a claw and turned my chin towards her. When she glanced over, she instantly squeezed her eyes shut and blew out a harsh breath. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”

Talking around her sharp talons was an exercise in restraint. “What is it?”

“These things eat hate, Snow.” She released my chin, and held two talons up to her own eyes. “And those peepers of yours only glow when you're pissed.”

Oh... shit. Purple snaked into and out of the corners of my vision. “What do I do?”

“Dial it down before it...WATCH OUT!”

Grabbing me, she hauled us both out from behind the wrecked building, just as the Windigo passed straight through it. Ice instantly covered the parts where the Windigo had travelled through.

Getting my hooves under me, I followed Wings to another wrecked building, two stories this time, even as the Windigo roared behind us.

As we reached the new shelter, Bosco's voice sounded out from somewhere else in the ruined city. “Split up!”

Taking the advice, Wings soared up to the second floor, then took off to the right. She loosed a few revolver shots at the Windigo as she went.

I went in on the ground floor, then leapt left out of a window. I was barely fast enough, as the Windigo engulfed the structure, and the ice kissed the back of my hooves before I cleared the area.

As I ran, I passed Bosco, who was running perpendicular to me, green flames flicking over and over as he cycled between himself, Cept, and Cassie. “Over here, big guy! Nice tasty Changeling for you!”

“Bosco, what are you doing?!” I cried, even as I knew I couldn't stop.

“Trade off, we’ll keep it distracted. Snow, build up another blizzard, and be ready to drop it on my signal!” Cept-Bosco disappeared into another crumbling domicile, which iced over as the Windigo ghosted into it.

Bosco emerged the way he'd come, now flying as Cassie. The wind demon made to follow, but water tendrils jabbed into and through its body as Undertow leapt down from an overhang and ran in a fourth direction.

The winter spirit's frustration emerged as a rumbling bellow. The moment it moved to follow Undertow, Wings streaked by its ear. When it snapped at her, Bosco rapid-fired a morph display to entice it.

As the three of them bothered the beast, now joined by the Gold and Silver trios. I concentrated on building up my spell. I was halfway there when I felt a probing presence through the arcane link I shared with Undertow.

It wasn't her. Raising my head, I found myself glared at by the devil of the north winds. Even as the Changelings flitted about it, it did not break eye contact. The eye itself was pure white, alien, the essence of the cold and winter itself.

It had no words to say, but the sensations that ran through link were all too clear:

Cycling images of Lethbridle, the basement chamber, and the present.

It remembered me.

Ghostlike threads linking it to me, threads that shifted and danced in the wind.

It knew how to find me.

The Changelings, filled with red. My friends and I, roiling masses of red and blue. Wings and Undertow were almost all blue. Bosco had a single solid core of blue, surrounded by red.

Me? Fifty-fifty, with each blending into the other.

The Windigo didn’t care. It only cared about the red.

It would consume the hatred within me.

More images now, other Windigoes dancing at the edge of the blizzard. Probing. Hunting.

It was not alone. The others would get through, and they would feed on all the hatred in the land.

Infinitesimal licks within that wall of wind.

They would devour the one in the mountain blizzard, and then me.

That won't happen, I sent back, I'll stop you.

Again, it gave no words, just hunger... and what felt like laughter.

“Now, Snow!” Bosco's voice was dulled by the link.

You won't win. We know about you.

“SNOW! What are you waiting for, do it-no wait, HELP!”

Bosco's shrill cry broke the spell, whiplashing me back to reality. The reality that Bosco was half a leg into the Windigo's grasp, and sinking deeper.

“BOSCO!” Instinct drove my actions. Through the link I had with the creature, my ice magic rode its ice nature, all the way along to where Bosco was being dragged in.

The non-corporeal ice wind hardened. The winter spirit howled in pain as a chunk of itself sloughed off, taking Bosco down and away from it. In the corner of my vision, I saw Wings and Undertow move to intercept him.

I wasn't done with the Windigo yet, though. I poured my blizzard spell into the wound, filling it out again, and more. My foreign ice wrapped around the creature, slowing its movements and impairing its vision.

Anger gave way to confusion as it blindly lashed out, taking out three Changelings as they rushed in. It hardly mattered, there were so many more. Every available shapeshifter rammed into the Windigo from all sides, pinning it in place in the air.

Cued by a rallying cry from the Gold and Silver leaders, the entire capture force burst into green flame at once. As the Windigo yowled, the green fire cage grew and stretched, engulfing it entirely.

Trapped, the beast could do nothing... as the Changelings began to feed.

It was a horrific, indescribable sight. The Windigo seemed to break down on the basest level, drawn into its captors.

Rationed and malnourished for so long, the Changelings feasted.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“I think I'm okay, Undertow, really. It just takes a little getting used to.” Gently removing her helping hooves from his person, Bosco leaned back against one of the few buildings not iced over by the Windigo's rampage.

He wasn't the Bosco we knew, not in body at least. Getting suckled on, however brief, had cancelled out the shapeshifting spell. Bosco was back in his true Changeling form.

Compared to the others, there were some differences, both minor and major. The other Changelings bore a green tinge. Bosco's tinge, when it was there at all, was not absolute. His green was not so pronounced, and at times simply faded to grey. His eyes too, were different. They were still his pony eyes, rather than the all-blue of the Gold and Silver Changelings.

Said other Changelings seemed to be in a post-feast stupor, and provided no answers. From the brief glances they'd managed, they hadn't seemed worried, at least.

At least they're not fighting each other anymore. If they can keep working together, we might have a chance if more Windigo break through. I still needed a quiet moment to work through what I'd felt from the Windigo, but it could wait until later. I should talk to Watcher about this. I'll ask Schwarzwald when we get back.

One of the reasons Bosco had pushed Undertow's touch away was sensitivity. His gossamer wings, carapace, and even fangs had him shuddering, giggling, squirming at even the lightest touch.

Just be glad Schwarzwald isn't here. She'd have a field day.

Still, Undertow and I stayed close, and Bosco seemed to draw strength from us.

If he was feeding on our love, he was welcome to it.

“Alright, see you later.” Wings stashed her communicator. “Hey, just spoke to Cassie. Let her know about the Windigo.” She cocked an eye at the sitting colt. “Didn't mention this. Thought you'd wanna do that.”

He smiled, the only genuine smile I'd seen from him in days. “Thanks. I appreciate that. Are we heading back?”

Wings shrugged. “You wanna talk to the Changelings some more?”

“No, I wanna be among friends right now.”

Wings tapped the radio against his skull, eliciting a... noise. “Well, you'll get some of your wish. Cassie says Rockhaunch and the three brothers have called in from Grindstone. They think they're on to something, but want some backup. Me, you, and 'tow are heading that way.”

Undertow and I both perked up at the mention of our brothers, but I frowned at the last part. “Just you three? What about me?”

Wings turned and pointed at her back with a claw. “Cassie's asking for you to head back to Sprinkles Supplies. Apparently, Lexi could use your help with the next part of Breeze's treatment.”

I was no less confused. “My help? I'm not a doctor.”

“What do you want me to tell ya? Cassie isn't either, but she's saying Lexi could use your help to get Breeze back on her hooves.” She nodded at Undertow and Bosco. “Couldn't hurt to get some goodwill going between the two of you, Snow. Said that yourself.”

Groaning, I stood up. “I guess so, yeah. Still kinda sucks that I don't get to see my brothers, though.”

Undertow sent good feelings through our link. “I will make sure to let them know you are thinking of them, big sister.”

“Stay safe, Snow. I mean that.” Wings lightly punched my shoulder. “I gotta clear my debt with you, and I can't do that if you're dead.”

“Careful,” I niggled her, “all these good vibes and Bosco'll get fat.”

“Worse things to be.” He quipped.

“Damn straight.” Wings started shepherding him and Undertow towards where we'd left the sky carriage. “Come on, you two. Let's go help the buffalo.”

I waved after them. “See you back at Sprinkles Supplies.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Level Up!

Perks gained:
Zeitgice – Due to a misrouted connection, Snow now has limited access to long forgotten, non-Equestrian ice magics.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author’s note:

Metaphysics!
As always, a big thank you to Kkat, Y1, Auramane, Kyts, Cascadejackal (he did the original cover art, which is still on the Fallout Equestria wiki), Shunketsunoponi and you, the readers. Please read and comment, and pass the word along if you like the story.

That’s all for now, folks. Please keep reading, commenting, and spreading the word on Old Souls. I really appreciate your feedback, and